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| Volume XXIII Number 16 | November 26, 2003 |
By Michael Kelly
HOLLYWOOD — There were basketball games, a rib cook-off, home-made food, friends, family, and a car show that filled two baseball fields. These were some of the things that made Keith Osceola happy.
Nicknamed “Gym rat” by many of his friends, the left-handed shooter enjoyed spending hours in the gym, always looking for a game of hoops with friends.
When it came to food, Keith enjoyed nothing more than grilling ribs for his friends and family. He won cook-offs and was the official tail-gate chef at Miami Dolphin games.
“He was always willing to help people. If someone needed a place to stay, he wouldn’t hesitate to ask them to stay at his place. When there were sporting events here on the reservation, Keith would cook hotdogs and hamburgers for the community,” said his mother Vivian Delgado. “Sometimes if a kid didn’t have money, he would help them out,” said Vivian.
Held on Nov. 1, the Keith Osceola Memorial seemed to bring out the whole Seminole community. When word got out about the open invitation for the car show, the two baseball fields were soon blanketed with vehicles, ranging from SUV’s, trucks, motorcycles, classic cars, and more. Moses Jumper Jr. even brought his 1925 Ford Model T. Individuals were proud to display their vehicles, some including booming sound systems and televisions.
Ronnie Billie displayed his 1967 red Mustang GTA with a 390 engine. “I just purchased the car a few days ago from Ft. Myers. The car is all original with matching numbers; I love it. I think my dream car would be a 1962 Impala, but they’re getting hard to find,” said Billie.
Billie, who is from Big Cypress, knows a little something about great classic cars. He, along with Vincent Micco, hosts an annual car show in Big Cypress every year and is planning the next one for early spring.
One of the tastier events was the Rib Cook-off. Eight competitors rolled up their sleeves, polished their grills, and began grilling pork ribs. Among the grill chefs were: Tate Osceola, his son Huston, Richard Osceola, Bobby Frank, Kenneth Descheene, Imahaggi Tiger, Dan Osceola, Jr., and Regina Thinn.
All contestants supplied their own grills; most using charcoal or wood. Richard Osceola even brought his own special sauce. “I call it Native Voodoo. It has lots of top secret ingredients including roots and herbs,” said Richard.
There was a common philosophy among the grillers when I came to technique. All preferred using pork ribs, not the smaller baby backs, and believed it was important to never mask the true flavor of the ribs by dousing it with barbeque sauce. Almost all swore by a product called Everglades Seasonings.
Imahaggi Tiger preferred using wood to charcoal or gas. “I use oak, but you can use other types of wood too. The natural smoke of oak gives the pork a distinctive flavor,” said Tiger.
Bobby Frank offered two types of ribs for the contest; one had a tropical citrus flavor, the other had tangy barbeque sauce.”
Regina Thinn, the lone woman in the contest, said, “I use an ancient Indian secret. I pour ginger ale on the ribs and then brush it on. I’ve used it on brisket many times before, but this is the first time I’ve tried it on ribs. The ginger ale gives the meat a sweet flavor. I never want to drown out the natural flavor of the ribs,” said Regina.
Kenneth Descheene offered a different technique when preparing ribs. “I like to add water so the meat doesn’t dry out, which can happen on the grill. It really tenders up the meat,” said Kenneth.
A surprise entry in the contest was 9-year old Huston Osceola. Not only was young Huston competing against some serious competition, but also his father. “My father got me into grilling. I always enjoy it when he grills ribs, which are my favorite. I usually add just a little barbeque sauce when the ribs are about done to add some flavor,” said Huston.
Judging the contest was professional chef Jimmy “Jimbo” Osceola, Jerome Williams, Joshua Harrison, and Michael Kelly. It was a tough (actually tender) job, but someone had to do it.
And the winner is . . . Regina Thinn. Second place went to Tate Osceola, and third place went to Huston Osceola. Both father and son enjoyed the competition and plan on entering next year. Regina plans on placing the trophy in her kitchen, of course.
Basketball players of all ages from the different reservations competed throughout the day for trophies and the prestige of being the best. Dwayne Hughes, who also prepared the terrific barbeque dinner at the memorial, coached the Hollywood Natives (Girls 17 and under) to victory over the team from Big Cypress. Hughes also coaches basketball and T-ball for the Seminole children.
There were bounce houses, a merry-go-round, and face painting for the younger children and it seemed like everyone under 10-years old was holding either a snow cone or cotton candy.
The Hollywood Culture department displayed patchwork, beads, and other items made by staff members and children. A man on stilts paraded around, holding up a basketball net and backboard. Children shot 3-pointers and made monster dunks.
The Keith Osceola Memorial had something for everyone. Young children and teens laughed out loud, parents joked around with friends, and seniors enjoyed playing with their grandchildren.
Although Keith Osceola passed away two years ago, his compassion and love for the Seminole community will never be forgotten. And judging from the way the community enjoyed themselves, so will the Keith Osceola Memorial.
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